Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

MCE Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

MCE is an inclusive community committed to bringing out the best in one another, providing equitable treatment and support to each member, and celebrating our common pursuit of scholarship as enhanced through our individual differences. We welcome and respect all members regardless of their role at Caltech or their race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, health status, religion, socioeconomic status, or political views.

EAS New Horizons Award

The New Horizons Award is presented annually by the Division of Engineering and Applied Science to recognize individuals within EAS who actively contribute to our goal of fostering an engineering community where all members can thrive and reach their full potential. This award is open to current EAS students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty. Eligible activities may include demonstrated leadership, advocacy and community organizing, development of resources to enhance community success, and engagement in engineering outreach to local schools or communities.

Seed Committee

The SEED in MCE Task force was established on July 2, 2020 by Professor José Andrade, with the charge reported in Appendix IV. The focus of the committee's charge was to suggest an actionable plan, to be rolled out in the next 5-10 years, starting in Fall 2020, to expand our student body diversity and inclusion, focusing on the graduate students cohort.

The committee has met 6 times since charged. Initially, the committee focused on identifying areas of needs in the department and sought input from all members of the department. We were guided in part by recommendations from the Black Scientists and Engineers of Caltech in their institute-level call to action. A survey was sent out to students, post docs, faculty and staff to collect input (Appendix V). Responders utilized an online anonymized platform and/or sent suggestions via email.

The committee also organized a dedicated meeting with Hanna Song and Monique Thomas, from the Center for Inclusion and Diversity, to learn about existing programs and initiatives on campus and to discuss possible ideas to implement in MCE to improve its diversity, focusing specifically on the graduate student cohort.

Report of the Task Force on "Sustainable Strategy for Enhancing Existing Diversity (SEED) in MCE" (pdf) 9/1/2020

Seed Committee Members

Domniki Asimaki, Faculty
Chiara Daraio, Faculty (Chair)
Marcus Lee, Graduate student
Maegan Tucker, Graduate student

Climate Committee

The Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department (MCE) is dedicated to cultivating a community that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI). To advance our DEI goals, it is imperative that we develop an understanding of the current perspectives and experiences within our community. The Climate Committee was tasked with reporting on the current climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community/our department and providing recommendations on how to make sustainable improvements.

MCE Climate Committee Members

Tim Colonius, Faculty (Chair)
Melany Hunt, Faculty
Lynn Seymour, Staff
Hanna Song, Senior Director for Inclusion & Diversity
Carlos Portela, Postdoc
Alex Choi, Graduate Student
Leah Ginsberg, Graduate Student
Marcus Lee, Graduate Student
Victoria (Tori) Lee, Graduate Student

Townhall

SOPS Climate Town Hall (pdf) 12/8/20

Survey & Final Report

Climate Survey (pdf)
Climate Results (pdf)
Climate Committee Final Report (pdf)

Women in MCE

Women in MCE (WMCE) is a graduate student-led program open to all women faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students in MCE, and to their allies, regardless of gender. Our main goals are: Build a community for women in MCE to connect, network, and increase the opportunities for younger members of the community to access the mentoring and support of senior members; Create a safe environment in which members of this group can explore and discuss relevant issues surrounding diversity and inclusion (and specifically women in STEM); Provide outreach and education events.

( Emily de Jong, Tracy Lu )

FUTURE Ignited

Caltech recognizes that the diversity of background, experience, and thought is essential to achieving and maintaining scientific excellence. To that end, FUTURE Ignited is a series of events designed to support and encourage aspiring graduate students by providing the opportunity to learn more about graduate programs at Caltech and, more broadly, the graduate school admissions process.

Title IX Efforts

The Equity and Title IX Office offers training on bystander intervention and promoting healthy lab dynamics. In this training, the Equity and Title IX Office primarily works to identify problematic situations that may come up, i.e. an inappropriate joke, and how members of the lab can respond in a constructive way to ensure the culture of the lab remains inclusive and supportive. Individual research group trainings are currently taking place over Zoom. To set up a training for your research group please contact the MCE Community Liaison.

Skills Based Workshop (pdf)